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My Trusted MOGs' Top Songs This Week
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...it's my Mogiversary!
Despite being a huge music fan in my youth and 20s, there was a period of about 10 years where I listened to and bought very little music. I don't quite know why this happened, and given how much I've got back into music in the last couple of years it's all the more perplexing. As a result there are huge gaps in my knowledge of music from the 90s. If I'm truthful, there are actually huge gaps in my music knowledge generally, but I'm working on that.
Mog has been an amazing source of fantastic new music for me and for filling in those gaps. More importantly, I feel like I've made friends that (even though I've never met any of you) I could look up any time I go travelling. Which I probably will. (I'm actually just getting you all used to the fact that I could possibly turn up and want to borrow your couch for a night or two. Heh-heh! Just joking. Sort of...).
I was hoping that I'd be doing lots more mogging following the end of semester and my several month mog hiatus, but after being single for five years, I've met a girl recently & fallen in love, and, well, you know how it goes. For those of you who read a recent post of mine I should let you know that (a) it's a different girl and (b) she's real and not just some wishful thinking on my part this time, and way cool. The only downside is that she's going away for six months in less than a week, which is totally crap for me, but maybe a bonus for you guys, cos I'll be back around the Mog-O lots more than I have been in recent weeks.
Nick Cave - (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?
Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank you all for being here, and making my life that much more fab. Mog On.
I tried to post this over a week ago, but Mog chucked a tanty and wouldn't let me. So I've opted for the abbreviated version, just to get it out there.
The debut album from Studio, who are a Swedish duo Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hagg came out recently. They take elements of disco, dub, krautrock, Madchester, Lindstrom and Post-Punk and throw them back wrapped in a huge, cosmic brilliant pieces of music. Great stuff. Doesn't sound like it should work, but it does.
Would love to post the tracks, 'Life's a Beach', and 'Indo' because they both give a different perspective to Studio's sound but they're each over 10 mins and 13 mb, so you'll have to head over to emusic to check 'em out. Enjoy!
Comments
Great post. I love Studio. Love both of these tracks. Nice to see some more Studio lovin here on MOG. Here are a few more songs for those interested: http://mog.com/Marigold/blog_post/89120
That first song reminds me of the english group The Farm who I loved back in the early '90s. Jammin' song too. Like the 2nd one too. Not heard of 'em before. Love the percussive beats in both songs.
YAY!! I finished up my final assignments and exams for the semester today.
I've had most of my notifications turned off for several months (and haven't read any posts from the ones I am getting) but there's still several hundred of them in my Mog folder. Might take me a while to get to them all... Lots seems to have happened here in the Mog-O that I'm just starting to catch up on.
In Mog world: I just heard about Crash. Though we didn't really cross paths often, it's still very sad to hear about his death. Does anybody know how it happened? Also, what's happened to Rawkiddo? It seems like he's disappeared from Planet Mog whilst i've been away.
In this country: We're having a federal election this weekend. With a bit of luck we'll be rid of the evil, lying, manipulative and deceitful little weasel we've had as a Prime Minister for the past eleven and a half years, and vote in someone slightly less conservative - though I suspect the Greens, who I'd really like to hold the balance of power, won't actually make much of a dent. Too much self-interest in this country. Stay tuned for an update. (You probably didn't need to know all that; I just had to get it off my chest).
In my life: I had another birthday. 45. What happened when I wasn't looking? I'm sure I was only 32 a year or so ago...
And in all the spare time I didn't really have - I fell for a girl I've known for about 15 years. Creative, funny, articulate, has got a gorgeous four year old girl and is into all the things I find fascinating like music, film, art, literature, ideas & architecture. Most importantly, she's got a great brain (damn that's sexy in a girl, can I just say that?). Unfortunately though, it would seem she's not single. Or perhaps ever was. Ha! Just a minor issue... Her facebook had her relationship status listed as 'It's complicated'. Which didn't really stop me. I'm not sure whether I should put that down to persistence or stupidity. Actually, I think it's probably both - persistently stupid. Oh well. You can't help it when you get that chemical, energetic bang that sometimes happens when you see someone. It'd just be nice if it happened to the other person at the same time! Still, she's a complete cack and a great chick, and I value the friendship.
Musically, I haven't stopped consuming - it's the thing that makes my life go around - and have also been to a couple of gigs. I saw M.I.A a couple of months ago (with said girl), who was amazing. Great energy and performance, fantastic outfits (!), completely packed venue. She kicked arse.
Just recently, I went to see a Grinderman and Nick Cave solo gig. Grinderman are exactly as you would expect - big, loud and dirty. Warren Ellis is an extraordinary musician and performer, and it would have been worth the ticket price just to see him alone. No Pussy Blues was a standout, with Nick posturing and pleading his case of blue balls to no avail.
The second half of the gig (and the longer set) was Nick playing his material without the full Bad Seeds lineup, but with the Grinderman guys (mini-seeds) backing him up. I reckon I've now seen Nick Cave play about 25 times, in four different bands over about a 28 year period, and this is close to the best I've ever seen him. He seemed to be really enjoying himself, often joked with the audience (I once saw him play about 10 years ago where he didn't utter a single word to the audience except, 'Thank you, Good-Bye'), and played a lot of his classic 90s tracks. Highlights were a double tempo 'Weeping Song', which became a rollicking number, and a beautiful half tempo 'Mercy Seat'. If you haven't ever seen him play, you should do so if you ever get the chance, 'cos he's in great form these days.
So what else has been getting me through several months of intense studying & running my business? Here's what I've been listening to, in no particular order. Some new, and some old that I've been catching up on (and a short description for the uninitiated):
Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - 'Dub Qawwali'.
Using recently discovered rare vocal parts recorded in sessions in Pakistan in the late 60s and 70s, Gaudi pays tribute to the master Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's extraordinary voice in an album that blends the full spectrum of dub & reggae styles with themes & flavours from other cultures & genres with Ali Khan's spiritually uplifting vocals. I saw Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan play in about 1985, and this album, whilst not in the same purist Qawwali style that Ali Khan and his troupe performed in, is absolutely beautiful. You should definitely catch this one. "In the midst of darkness, life persists".
Efterklang - 'Parades'.
An excerpt from drownedinsound.com: 'a sumptuous, symphonic masterpiece of crackled circuitry and classical compositional skill, drenched in harmonies that spill from instruments too varied to list yet that combine quite brilliantly to craft pieces that know no creative boundaries. This is music full of spirit, of invention; it's music that rises and rises, lifting the listener as it reaches the sort of height once the reserve of Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Arcade Fire - you know, the bands that touch you right there, without fail'. Couldn't have said it better myself (though I might have left out Radiohead...).
Studio - 'West Coast'.
Debut album from Swedish duo who take elements of disco, dub, krautrock, Madchester, Lindstrom and post-punk and throw them back wrapped in a huge, cosmic brilliant piece of recording. Great stuff. Doesn't sound like it should work, but it does.
Burial - 'Untrue'.
The new album by anonymous London musician Burial sees him push the dubstep sound he helped establish into new territory. Dubstep is sparse and elemental by design, but whereas the first album used voices as atmospheric elements, in Untrue, the voices are fore-grounded much more. Several tracks here are almost like songs! (Ok, so i'm exaggerating here).
Tabla Beat Science - 'Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove'.
The brilliant performer / producer Bill Laswell appropriates the ancient tradition of the tabla and fuses it with contemporary electronic wizardry. Some of the world's best players make up Tabla Beat Science, including tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and vocalist sarangi master Ustad Sultan Khan. This is them playing live, where they cover ground ranging from Indian classical and Ethiopian pop to funk, hip-hop, and drum'n'bass. If you like your genres and cultures twisted about a bit, this is for you.
Floex - 'Pocustone'.
Floex is a young Czech composer, musician, graphic artist and student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. His debut album 'Pocustone' was released in 2001, and bridges genres such as nu-jazz, electronic and modern contemporary music with great integration of classical instruments such as clarinet, flute, recorder & clavinet. The album was highly critically acclaimed in the Czech Republic but seems to have had little attention in the wider world. (Thanks Mctack for the M).
There's much more too, but I gotta go to bed because my brain has turned to mush now. I think I need a new one. I hope your world's been fab, and am looking forward to catching up with you all in the Mog-O in the coming months.
Comments
Welcome back, utterly fantastic post. Sorry to hear about the lady trouble, happens to the best of us, but well done on getting through your exams. Great reviews. I'm on Burial, too. Wonderful talent.
My friend's just back a year in Australia, and he was filling me in on your political landscape (his cousin is a Green politician.) We've got a crook of a PM in our country as well, but even though he's lurching from one "financial irregularity" crisis to another, we (although not me!) just voted him back in. Frustrating as hell.
Count yourself even luckier to see MIA, I just found out that her Ireland gig has been cancelled. Think it's due to high ticket prices (roughly 50 dollars) and an outdoor venue in the middle of winter(!).
Marvellous tune you posted, too.
I'm not sure how Crash died or what happened to Rawkiddo. Maybe somebody else can help us with that...
My Trusted MOGs (10 of 54)
MOGs That Trust Me (8 of 89)
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Comments
Well Happy Mogiversary & congrats on the new relationship(& good luck w/her as well)! It's been a better place around here with you in it. My year mogiversary is coming up on Jan. 8 so I'm not far behind you.
J, it's true you are mogging less lately and i wish it were more often, but life and love come first and i am happy to know that you are happy. it's amazing how we joined mog only two weeks apart but i never got to know you 'til some months ago (i was also telling Cody a bit of that - and August, the same goes to you). love having you here, that's one of my favoritest Nick Cave songs (and albums) up there, more fun times and mog years to come. (8
I didn't listen to much music in the 90's either. (Maybe there was a good reason?) Then I started playing again and only heard live music. Then I started listening at home again. These days, if I realise I haven't been listening to music for a while I take it as a sort of barometer thing. Generally I find that I've let the joy slip out of my life and need to do something to bring it back again.